Improvement in traction-engines



.1 TATES PATENT QFFIGE.

GEORGE W. FITTS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT I N TRACTION-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,60l, dated April 4,1876; application filed April 18, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. FITTS, of thecity of Philadelphia and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and. Improved Steering-Gear for Steam-Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification:

The nature of my invention consists in connecting the guide-wheel of asteam-vehicle with the engines of the same in such a manner that themotion of the engines may be communicated to the guide-wheel so as toturn it in any desired direction by simply moving a leverback and forth,by which means I am enabled to guide the steamer with great ease andprecision.

In order to fully explain my invention, the following description andaccompanying drawings are referred to as forming a part of myspecification of the same.

Figures 1 and 2 are side and surface views of a threewheeledsteam-vehicle, showing the steam-boiler, driving-wheels,water-tank, engines, and the guidewheel, connected with the engines byshafts, gearing, levers, 8m.

A is the steam-boiler. U is the water-tank, one end attached to theboiler and the other resting upon the axle of the guide-wheel. B B arethe driving-wheels fitted to the axle, upon which the boiler and tankrest. D is the guide-wheel. The axle of this wheel is bolted at each endto a pinioned circle, I, Fig; 1, which has a convex upper surface thatfits into a grooved circle that is attached to the under side of thetank, and which permits the circle P to revolve horizontally within thesame, carrying the guide-wheel with it, so that a pinion operating uponthe pinioned circleP will give to the guide-wheel a horizontal motion atthe same time that it has a circular motion upon its axle.

E is a small pinion, placed upon the lower' end of the vertical shaft F,and gears into the pinioned circle P and operates the same.

F is a small vertical shaft, with small pinions upon each end, one ofwhich communicates with the guide'wheel, and the other with a worm-gear,K, upon the shaft G, Fig. 2.

G is a small horizontal shaft, upon one end of which is a smallworm-gear, K, that connects with the guide-wheel by means of thevertical shaft F.

Upon the other end of the shaft G is a small beveled pinion, H, Fig. 1,that gears into the beveled pinions I I, Fig. 1, which are fixed uponthe engine-shafts M M.

J, Fig.2, is a lever, attached to the end of the horizontal shaft W.Upon the opposite end of this shaft is fastened a short arm, L, throughwhich the shaft G passes and revolves. The office of this lever is tothrow the shaft G, with the beveled pinion H, in and out'of gear, withthe pinions I I attached to the engine-shafts.

M M are the engine-shafts upon which are fixed the driving-pinions O O,engine-cranks R R, and beveled pinions I I, and connectingelutoh U.

N N' are' the steam -cylinders, connected with the cranks R R and shaftsM M by the pitmen S S.

T is the drivers seat, fasteLed to the top of the water-tank near to thelever J.

It will be seen by the above description that the driver, by simplymoving the lever J back and forth so as to put the small; pinion H intogear-with either of the pinions I I upon the engine shafts, cancommunicate their motion to the guide-wheel by means of the shafts G andF and the pinions attached thereon, so as to turn the same in ahorizontal direction either way, as it will be noticed that, when thesmall pinion H is in gear with either of the pinions I, it will receivean opposite direction when shifted from one to the other, thus enablingthe driver to change the direction of the guide-wheel and steamer, asthe motion is transferred from the engines by simply moving the lever Jback and forth.

I do not claim anything shown or described in Robinsons Patent, No.15,820; but

I claim- A guide-wheel for steam-vehicles, combined and geared with theengine or crank shafts of the same and operated thereby, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE W. FITTS.

Witnesses ANNA S. FITTS, O. P. WEBSTER.

